Doctors’ stories and their functions for collaboration: A narrative study

Abstract

In this study, we explore the role of doctors' stories about one another in fostering or hindering collaboration. Using a qualitative and narrative approach, we investigate the types and functions of stories that doctors share, focusing on narratives within emergency departments. Methodologically, we combine observations in the emergency departments of three hospitals, 5 focus groups with 15 trainee doctors, and one focus group and three individual interviews with a total of 8 specialist doctors. The concept of ‘antenarrative’ is used to understand these fragmented, co-constructed stories. We developed two main types of narrative: historical, stereotype-driven narratives about medical specialties, and local, experience-based narratives. These stories serve multiple functions, including icebreaking and entertaining, warning, venting, bantering, reinforcing in-group cohesion and attacking. We find that while some stories negatively impact collaboration by perpetuating stereotypes, others positively facilitate teamwork. The findings suggest that storytelling plays a critical role in the ongoing workplace dynamics, emphasizing the need to recognize the nuanced role of storytelling in collaboration. Increasing awareness of the various functions of collegial stories, their role as ‘bets’ for future narratives, and their importance for collaboration in both pre-graduate and post-graduate medical training is important for medical education as well as workplace culture. While we argue that avoiding such stories is undesirable and impossible, raising awareness about the powerful impact of the stories, for example in relation to negative stories about other medical specialties, is critical.